The Sages Group for North Korean Human Rights resumes its activities
for the first time in seven years with the help of the Unification Ministry
Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho meets with the Sages Group
(November 28)
Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho attends the Sages Group and Digital
Freedom Symposium (November 29)
The Sages Group for North Korean Human Rights (The Sages Group),
which has been actively involved in the international arena in the
field of North Korean human rights, resumes its activities for the
first time in seven years after a hiatus since 2017 with the support
of the Ministry of Unification.
* Established in 2016 under the leadership of former
Ambassador-at-Large for North Korean Human Rights Lee Jung-Hoon to
provide recommendations for improving North Korean human rights to the
United Nations and major countries, the Sages Group consists of seven
members, including former President of the International Criminal
Court Song Sang-hyun, former Chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry
(COI) on Human Rights in North Korea Michael Kirby, former members of
the UN COI on Human Rights in North Korea Marzuki Darusman and Sonja
Biserko, Member of the House of Lords of the UK David Alton, and
former Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues at the US
Department of State Robert King.
On November 28, Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho met with the Sages
Group. Minister Kim highlighted the role of the Sages Group, stating,
“The members of the group made efforts to investigate the status of
North Korean human rights and spread it at the COI ten years ago, now
we need their support in implementing the recommendations of the COI report.”
On the following day, the 29th, six members of the Sages Group (Lee
Jung-Hoon, Song Sang-hyun, Michael Kirby, Marzuki Darusman, Sonja
Biserko, and Robert King) participated in the Sages Group and Digital
Freedom Symposium to discuss the situation of North Korean human rights.
In his congratulatory remarks, regarding the inflow of outside
information to North Korea, Minister Kim highlighted the importance of
“providing outside information to North Koreans living with no access
to any information from outside.” He also stated, “The impact of
outside information will be especially more powerful among the
so-called jangmadang generation, or the North’s millennials and Gen
Zers, who are familiar with the culture of the Korean Wave.”
Moreover, the minister stated that while North Korea remains
vigilant about the inflow of South Korean culture to the North through
the “Anti-Reactionary Thought Law,” “the desire for freedom grows
stronger the more it is suppressed,” and mentioned that discussing
ways of information inflow through new technologies is very timely.
